I am sure that you have already read this on a number of blogs, but I thought I would post about it anyway :).

From Google’s announcement:

Google Reader will be retired on July 1, 2013. If you’d like to download a copy of all your Reader data before then, you can do so through Google Takeout. You’ll receive your subscription data in an XML file, and the following information will be downloaded as JSON files:

• List of people that you follow
• List of people that follow you
• Items you have starred
• Items you have liked
• Items you have shared
• Items shared by people you follow
• Notes you have created
• Items with comments

I don’t use rss readers, but I suspect that a majority reads this blog through a rss reader.   Dear Author has a  list with possible replacements here.

I posted the old opening last week, so I thought I would post the new opening this week. I promise I will not post a third version next week! 😀

The sound of the phone made me look up from the report I was reading. I stretched out a hand and picked up the reciever.
“ Magi CIS, Di Luca speaking.”
“ I want to tell you about a Pixie Dust delivery,” a hoarse voice whispered.
A shiver crept down my spine. Pixie Dust was nasty stuff. It was addictive, and made you very pliant. I picked up a pen.
“ When?”
“ Tomorrow.”
“Where?”
“ Somewere around Cedar Springs.”
I swallowed a curse. Cedar Springs was a muggy hell hole, filled with good ol’ southern gentlemen, who didn’t like Mancers.
“ Who?”
“ Oh hell no. You have do something.”
The click told me the tipster had hung up. Slowly, I put down the phone. I glanced at McRae’s office, but he wasn’t back from were ever he and Solange had run off to.
I shrugged, might as well do the basic paperwork. I opened up the form we used to fill in anonymous tips in. It didn’t take me long to fill in the scant information.
I stared at it for a moment. Something told me that this was just the beginning on a long investigation. I pushed away the thought, and picked up the report. After making a rookie mistake of mixing up the victim and the unsub, I always read it thrice. I flinched, sometimes I could almost feel the blisters after McRae’s dressing down. That day, I had been certain my career was over before it even started.

I outlined the first 5 scenes of the Sorcerer , and then I decided to start writing. When I started writing, the words that I typed was in first, not third like the old version. I considered it, and decded that it felt right to tell it in first. And, the opening is SO much better now. It is more organic, for starters. That isn’t the only change. I read the opening scene of the Raven Mocker, and was reminded of how much I love that story. In fact, I have changed my mind about self publishing the Magi CIS stories, I want to make an attempt to find a publisher first. Why? Because I think they are good enough to sell to a publisher. It might be that I am wrong, but I wont know that until I have tried. 🙂

Yesterday, my laptop suddenly froze. I cursed, turned it off and went to make dinner.  When I turned it on after dinner, I discovered that it was beeping. Not loud, and not all the time but occasionally, it beeps.   In fact, it sounds like an EKG machine..Yeah…  I don’t like that at all :P.  But the laptop is working, so I can live with it. For now.   Until I get a job, or it is my birthday.

Yesterday, I realised that I need to replot  the Sorcerer.   Why?  Because I realised a couple of things.  A) There is a return home theme to this series.  Book 1 and 3 is about returning home. This one isn’t.  I would really like to keep that theme. B)   My agent MC isn’t threatened.  He investigates, but his life isn’t shaken to the core. C) I  scribled down the outline in… 2009, 2010? And I have grown a lot as a writer since then.

That said, the premise still works.   Agents must find the Pixie Dust delivery before it is spread through the state.  Or something like that. Oh, and pixie dust is a drug, that make humans very… compliant, plus it is highly addictive.

But, I look forward to it since the story needs it.

 These are fun well, written  fantasy romps, slightly old fashioned in writing but  they are perfect for when you need to read something funny.   I reviewed the first book here. Oh, and beware: His writing is addictive.    But don’t take my word for it: Rojuun, the first book in the series is free at Amazon, Smashwords and BN. 


Book 1 of The Willden Trilogy: Rumors are spreading about a new race called Rojuun. They appeared from the depths of the mountains eight hundred years ago with the intention of taking over the world. Tathan of the Shadows has been charged with learning more about them. However, he must learn more about his very unusual companions before he can succeed.

 Book 2 of the Willden Trilogy begins the adventure shortly after the events of book one. Tathan and his companions meet danger with a healthy dose of humor and irreverence during their adventure. Tales of a kidnapped princess are spreading like quick-fire and the world may go poof if something isn’t done.

Book 3 of the Willden Trilogy: The companions have a plan to return Princess Anilyia to the Kingdom of Mayncal. As with most of their plans, events happen in an entirely different way. The others begin to learn more about Tathan of the Shadows and his murky past. That past presents barriers to accomplishing their goals and they must overcome them.

Here is the opening scene, or part of it, to the Sorcerer. It is first draft, unedited, and riddled with typos.  But I hope you enjoy it 🙂 :

The shrill sound of the phone made Gianni Di Luca look up from the report he was reading. He glanced around, and swallowed a sigh when he saw that the office was empty.

He stretched out a hand, and picked up the phone.
” Magi CIS, Di Luca speaking.”

” Hello,” a faint voice say .Di Luca isn’t sure if the voice was male or female.
” What’s your business?” he asked, struggling to hide his impatience.

” I am calling about a pixie dust delivery.”

He snapped to attention. Pixie Dust was a highly addictive drug.

” When?” he asked, and fumbled after a pen and paper.

” Tonight, or early tomorrow.”

” Where?”

Di Luca swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue when the tipster didn’t answer. He knew from experience that pushing a tipster would be a bad idea.
” In a warehouse.”

Di Luca rolled his eyes. Of course it was in a warehouse. But were? In the docks, in downtown?

” Who?”

” Oh hell no. Something you’ll have to do.”

Di Luca cursed vividly when he heard a loud click. At least he told me about the delivery, he tried to console himself with.

He put down the receiver, and pulled up caller id. He wrote down the number, before he opened an empty file.

He pulled up the tip template, and started to fill in the information the man hade given him, scant as it was.

He itched to do a search for the number, but he forced himself to pick up the report and resume his reading. After the time he had mixed up the victims and the unsubs name, he proofread his reports very carefully. He flinched, sometimes he could still feel the blisters from McRae’s fury.

I read this on Holly Lisle’s webpage:

Maybe it’s the story you hoped to self-publish, to get yourself started on a writing business, to cut loose from the day job, or to invent a job because you can’t find one.

And it got me thinking.  I have been toying with the idea of self publishing before, but I have never taken the plunge.  Considering the fact that I have been out of a job for a long, long time, I think it is time that I take the plunge.  So, as a part of that plan, I started to type in the partially finished draft of The Sorcerer, which is a novelette (I think), set in the Magi CIS universe.   The plan is to finish the draft in mid April.  Let it sit for awhile, and then revise it until it shine :).  And then hire an editor ( which will not be Laura Anne. She is an awesome writer and editor, but it would feel… odd to me if she edited it :)) , and a cover artist.  

But that’s the plan.  Why The Sorcerer? Because it is part of a series.  I have one finished short story,  one partially finished novella ( The Raven Mocker), one started short story, plus ideas for two more stories. 

And, I have heard repeatedly that backlist and series is key.